As Ye Fan felt her softness against him, the intimate contact made Shangguan Qiuyue blush. So soft, so comforting.

Regrettably, her resistance this time had failed.

"Let her go!"

The two bodyguards released Mu Wanxin. Ye Fan, using Shangguan Qiuyue as a hostage, made his way to the first floor and then let her go.

Shangguan Qiuyue said angrily, "Ye Fan, I’ll remember you."

"Plenty of people remember me. One more or one less makes no difference," Ye Fan said with a smile. "A woman shouldn’t be so scheming, otherwise people will mistake you for a femme fatale."

"Hmph!" Shangguan Qiuyue snorted coldly.

The bodyguards outside blocked Ye Fan’s path, but Shangguan Qiuyue ordered, "Let them go!"

"Miss!"

The two bodyguards were reluctant, but Shangguan Qiuyue’s compelling gaze forced them to obey.

"Until we meet again," Ye Fan said.

Then, he left with the panic-stricken Mu Wanxin.

Holding Ye Fan’s Dragon-shaped Jade Pendant, Shangguan Qiuyue dug her nails into it. She said coldly, "Ye Fan, as long as you’re in the southwest, you’ll never escape the palm of my hand!"

In the car, Mu Wanxin asked Ye Fan, "Honey, what happened? Why did they suddenly attack me?"

Ye Fan replied, "It’s nothing. They just wanted to force me to work for them."

Mu Wanxin seemed to understand what he meant. However, she disliked Shangguan Qiuyue. In her eyes, Shangguan Qiuyue was the type of woman who could seduce a man to his doom. Her schemes were even more terrifying. A woman like her was definitely not someone an ordinary man could handle, but Ye Fan was no ordinary man.

This delay meant they were running late, so they decided to stay overnight in a small county town.

That night, Mu Wanxin got hungry, so Ye Fan took her out to eat. They found a barbecue stall with a surprisingly pleasant atmosphere and sat down. However, three men soon sat down at the table across from them. From the moment they arrived, their eyes never left the pair.

Mu Wanxin noticed them, but Ye Fan had been aware of them much earlier. He had seen the sword-shaped tattoos on their arms.

It was the insignia of the Sky Sword Sect.

Ye Fan hadn’t expected the men from the Sky Sword Sect to arrive so quickly.

Just as he and Mu Wanxin finished their meal and were about to head back to their business hotel, the three men blocked their path. From the fluctuations of energy they emitted, Ye Fan could tell they were three Postnatal Martial Artists, several notches stronger than cultivators of Inner Strength.

One of them spoke. "Are you the kid who killed Duo Ci, one of our Sky Sword Sect’s Four Great Protectors?"

"Yes, that’s me," Ye Fan admitted without hesitation. There was no reason to deny it.

Mu Wanxin hid behind him. Ye Fan told her, "Honey, when the fight starts, step to the side. You can come out after I’ve dealt with these three."

"Honey, should we call the police?" Mu Wanxin asked worriedly.

"There’s no need," Ye Fan said. "The secular authorities have no control over the conflicts of the underground world."

The leader of the trio sneered, "Kid, you’re arrogant. It seems you don’t know the strength of our Sky Sword Sect. Today, you’ll join Duo Ci in death!"

"Is that so? I don’t think you have what it takes."

"Since you’re so eager to die, I’ll send you down to meet Duo Ci!"

Ye Fan immediately charged forward.

The three men were shocked. They were always the ones on the attack and never expected Ye Fan to take the initiative. It was as if he held the Sky Sword Sect in complete contempt. In response, they spread out, flanking him from three directions to counter his assault.

The trio coordinated seamlessly. The burly leader attacked from the front, while the other two launched sneak attacks from above and below to distract him. All three wielded the Long-Pointed Swords of the Sky Sword Sect as they rushed at Ye Fan.

"You’re courting death."

Ye Fan smirked and reached out to grab the blade of the man attacking him head-on. The man was filled with disdain. How dare he try to catch my blade? His hand is about to be split in two.

However, when the Long-Pointed Sword touched Ye Fan’s palm, he suddenly twisted it. The blade snapped instantly. Ye Fan then slashed the broken shard across the man’s neck. The man clutched his throat, collapsing to the ground with a pained wail.

The other two had a terrible premonition. Despite their seamless coordination, Ye Fan had skillfully dismantled their attack. Before they could even register how he had moved, one of their team was already down.

The remaining two pressed their attack from the sides. Ye Fan blocked one of them while the other swung his sword toward Ye Fan’s neck. Unfortunately for them, they had no idea how terrifying the power of the King of Heaven was. They were no match for him.

BANG!

Ye Fan threw a counterpunch that instantly tore through the man’s body. Staring at the impossibly powerful Ye Fan, the man’s eyes went wide with terror, as if he were looking at a demon from Hell.

Seeing this, the last man turned and fled.

"Trying to escape? You dared to come after me, so be prepared to pay the price of death!"

Moving with blinding speed, Ye Fan appeared behind him in the blink of an eye. He unleashed his renowned Dragon Claw Hand, gripping the man’s head. A jet of blood shot into the air.

"Honey!"

From out of the darkness, he heard Mu Wanxin’s terrified scream.

Startled, Ye Fan immediately rushed toward the sound.

When he reached the spot, he found two bodies lying on the ground. He recognized them as the men who had ambushed Shangguan Qiuyue the other day. Mu Wanxin herself was unconscious, having fainted from sheer terror.

Ye Fan hurried over and gathered her into his arms, a wave of guilt washing over him. Mu Wanxin should never have had to witness such a bloody scene; it would only deepen her fear. He never wanted to drag her into these conflicts. The underground world was cruel and frightening, and he had grown tired of its struggles. All he wanted was a simple, ordinary life for himself and for her. That was all he asked for. Unfortunately, reality had other plans.

"Mr. Ye, it seems we must cooperate this time."

A sweet voice drifted to his ears.

Ye Fan turned around. Sure enough, it was Shangguan Qiuyue. It was her bodyguards who had just shot the two men who were attempting to kidnap Mu Wanxin.

"You again?" Ye Fan said. "I’m starting to suspect you led these people to me."

"Of course not," Shangguan Qiuyue said with a laugh. "Mr. Ye, have you lost even the most basic sense of trust?"

Her smile stirred a primal urge in Ye Fan to pin her down and conquer her.